"most of them directly or indirectly referred to what was in the books they were using... "What they need for high school and maybe college. ..." This content is perceived as more important or legitimate than what one discovers or attempts to define for oneself. " (Ayon,1981, p.17)

Anyon decided to place schools into "reproductive" and "nonproductive" groups.

"...There are profound differences in the curriculum and the curriculum-in-use in the sample of schools in this study" (Anyon, 1981, p. 31).

Middle-class school students didn't learn about their own history of workers or their dissent. Affluent school students actually did learn about their own history.

Working-class schools wanted physical control over their students, and didn't care to "win over there hearts and minds" (Anyon, 1981, p. 32).

Students tended to give basic responses when asked what knowledge was to them. Some responded with: "knowing certain things," "thinking," and "what you're expected to know" (Anyon, 1981, p. 28).

Answers from the students were less creative in the executive elite school than the affluent professional school.

Anyon noted that students claimed knowledge came from "past experience" and "other people" (Anyon, 1981, p. 29).

Teachers are required to use some sort of science program; most use SAPA.

Social studies classrooms were analytical, but never critical. They were almost critical when a teacher asked "why does this happen?"

Anyon made a statement about executive elite schools that read: "social studies knowledge was more sophisticated, complex, and analytical than in other schools" (Anyon, 1981, p. 26).

Methodology

“I try to help them understand what they read. I think that's more important than the skills, although they're important, too. But if they don't understand what they read, they won't know anything. "” (Anyon, 1981, p.13)

“Part of the attitude that knowledge is what i s i n textbooks seems to be the feeling that knowledge is made by experts and consists of standard rules and "content."” (Anyon, 1981, p.13)

“Several days later, reading the text on the Puritan culture the teacher says, "The word was 'economic. ' What does that refer to? " A child looks at the page then says, "To make a better living? " The teacher also glances at the page, and says, "Yes, making money."” (Anyon, 1981, p.15)

“It should be noted that these basic " understandings" are not particularly analytical of U.S. society, or of the economic system; indeed, one could argue that some of them are not about the economy (e.g. , the first and last).” (Anyon, 1981, p.14)

“When I asked the children what knowledge was, seventeen gave me the following responses: "To remember." "You go to a museum." "You learn facts and history." "You study about your ancestors. " "To study things we need to know." "It's smartness." "It means you're intelligent. " "Remembering." "Knowledge is something you learn." "To know things." "Doing your work in school ." "When you study." "It's how you learn in school, what your learn;" "Knowing the answers to stuff, " "Brains," "Being smart. " "It's studying. What you do is store facts in your head like cold storage until you need it later for a test, or your job. "” (Anyon, 1981, p.15)

“When I asked where knowledge comes from, I got the following answers: Two said, "From the teacher." "From the old times. " "From old books." "From scientists. " Two said, "From libraries." Three students said, "From encyclopedias." Three children said, "From books." "From 16 JEAN ANYON/CI my mother-she tells me what to do. " "From movies or TV?" "From Sesame Street. " " Knowledge comes from everywhere." "From Latin?" "You hear other people talk with the big words. "” (Anyon, 1981, p.16)

“Education in particular seems to be accepted as important, indeed vital, to one's ability to get a job or enter college." (Anyon, 1981, p.16)

“One fifth grade teacher said, for example, "What these children need is the basics. " When I asked her what the basics were, she said, "The three Rs-simple skills. " When I asked why, she responded, "They're lazy. I hate to categorize them, but they're lazy."” (Anyon, 1981, p.7)

“There was less mention of potentially controversial topics than in other series in other schools. Both texts refer to the economic system as a "free enterprise" system.” (Anyon, 1981, p.9)

“One of the fifth-grade teachers called these pages " the thinking pages " and said she "rarely" uses them. "They're too hard. " She concentrates, she said, "on the basics." That is, "how you multiply and divide.””(Anyon, 1981, p.8)

“I then asked them, "Where does knowledge come from? " Six said, [It comes from] " teachers." Other answers were, "Books. " "The Board of Ed. " "Scientists." 'Dictionary. " "Your mind?'' "Your personality? " "From learning. "” (Anyon, 1981, p.10).

“Most children in the working-class schools had some difficulty interpreting my question. Many asked, "What? " or "What do you mean?" It seemed that my question was not meaningful to them. I said, "What do you think of when I say the word 'knowledge?' "

“Although some amount of resistance appeared in every school in this study, in the working-class schools it was a dominant characteristic of student-teacher interaction. In the fifth grades there was both active, and passive resistance to teachers' attempts to impose the curriculum.” (Anyon, 1981, p.11)

“Most of the personnel I interviewed in this school referred to school knowledge as involving either individual discovery and creativity, "important ideas," or personal activity on the part of the student (as in the use of science or math equipment).” (Anyon, 1981, p.17)

“" The principal said that the students should not just "regurgitate" facts, but should "immerse themselves in ideas." He said that "creativity and personal development" are important goals for the children in his school.” (Anyon, 1989, p.18)

“The teacher says she does "all" the pages in the math book which concern mathematical patterns. She told me the publisher has supplemental dittoes for those pages, and she does "a lot of those."” (Anyon, 1981, p.18)

“Unlike the series in the working class and middle-class schools, it discusses at length such topics as social class, the power of dominant ideas, and "competing world views."” (Anyon, 1981, p.19)

“When asked about what knowledge is, the children gave the following responses: "The way you think. Yes, the way you think. " "Ideas and, urn, smart people can find a lot of problems. They can think about them and they can realize them [sic). When there is something wrong, they can realize what's wrong with it." "You think up ideas and then find things wrong with those ideas." "I don't know. " "Being smart." "Knowing a lot of subjects. " " (Anyon, 1981, p.21)

“Only half of them thought they could be anything they wanted, although all but one were sure they were going to college.” (Anyon, 1981, p.23)

“The children are also getting a good dose of two dominant social ideologies: that the system itself will be made more humane by expressions of concern for the less fortunate, and that individuals, not groups, make history.” (Anyon, 1981, p.23)

Executive Elite School

Knowledge comes from reason and rationality.

Anyon stated that most students here at the executive elite school were more in competition with one another and concerned with performance than students from other schools she observed.

Knowledge in executive elite schools is "academic, intellectual, and rigorous" (Anyon, 1981, p. 31).

The article stated all elementary schools will be integrated with bussing except the executive elite school

Most of the teachers in executive elite schools are from middle and upper-class backgrounds.

The school that was predominantly black/ low income ended up closing. Students who attended this school were not offered bussing, they had to walk to schools that were over a mile away.

When Anyon interviewed teachers at the executive elite school, she asked what knowledge was important for their students. Some teachers reported that problem solving and reasoning was most important.